Grid for refrigerator freezing trays



y 1934- w. H. FULLER, JR 1,956,761

GRID FOR REFRIGERATOR FREEZIQG TRAYS Filed Aug. 30, 1930 5 f H u f ./2 I

eva? I Inventor gs ylllzdfizfifidliazfi" A Ilomey Patented May 1, 1934 v umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE GRID FOR REFRIGERATOR FREEZING TRAYS William Harrison Fuller, Jr., Dallas, Tex. Application August 30, 1930, Serial No. 479,031

3 Claims. (01. 62-1085) This invention relates generally to removable modification set forth herein to illustrate the ice cube grids used in conventional type of freezsame and any change or changes may be made ing trays and used in'gas, chemical, or mechaniin material and structure consistent with the cal refrigerators, and particularly to a grid of spirit and scope of the invention.

5 improved character in construction which per- Referring in detail to the drawing, a convenmits easier, quicker, and more satisfactory means tional ice freezingtray as indicated by the nuof removing the ice cubes from the tray than is meral 5 and my improved grid is indicated generpossible with ordinary types of grids. ally by the numeral 6. It will be obvious from It is an object of this invention to provide a the, drawing that I provide the walls of my im- 10 removable grid of the class described, which by proved grid wedge-shaped tapering from the top its nature and construction and the material 7 to the bottom 8 and formed of flexible rubber from which it is composed,'provides for easier reas indicated at 9 and provided with a semi-rigid moval of the ice cubes and more economical use core 10. The upper edges of the walls as indithereof. cated at 11 and 12 are formed to enable the inser- 15 It is another object of this invention to provide tion of the grid into a freezing tray of convenan improved removable grid of the class described tional type so that it will fit therein snugly, withwhich may be used in the stead of the 'convenout binding and permit easy removal. tional type of grids in the conventional type of It will be observed in Figure 3 that the flexible freezingtrays, without alteration, and which will rubber or other suitable material is tapered from 20 enable the use of the trays and make possible the the top 7 to the bottom 8 of the walls of the grid, removal therefrom of the ice cubes in the said and the core 10 is not tapered. It is thought to be improved manner. obvious that the bottoms 8 of the walls of the. grid It is also an object of this invention to proare to be disposed in contact with the bottom 13 vide an improved grid of the type described which of the tray 5 and that the tops '7 of the said walls 25 permits removing the ice cubes either individualrise to a suitable height within the tray. ly or as a whole in a group, as desired, and to It is well known that the usual metal type of enable said removal in a convenient, easy and freezing tray has a removable metal grid which satisfactory manner. permits rapid freezing of the, water into cubes be- It is also an object of this invention to procause of the high conductivity of the metal. The

so vide an improved removable grid of the type deremoval of the ice cubes from such a tray inscribed, which is composed of a combination of volves a considerable waste and effort, as it is flexible and semi-rigid material, the semi-rigid necessary first to run hot water over the bottom material forming a core upon which is formed of the tray in order to loosen the cubes, which the flexible material, and which does not noticecome out in one piece, and it is then necessary" 35 ably retard the freezing of the water into ice to again run hot water over the grid and the cubes, but which because of the nature of the cubes to permit the removal from the grid, the material permits more ready and at sfacto y 'eentire operation consuming some time and re moval of the ice cubes from the tray. sulting in the well known mishandling and con- These and other objects, the nature of the sequent waste of the cubes. There is another 40 invention, its composition and arrangement and type of tray employing a, grid form d of t i l com in n of pa Will be readily understood such as rubber, in which the grid and the tray from a reading of the following descriptions of are made as a unit or fastened together, which th d aw in Whichimakes the removal of the cubes more easy than Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional in the case of the metal grid and tray, but this 5 ice cube freezing tray taken from one end theretype of grid and tray very considerably retard of and Showi tray P y b o w y t the freezing of the water into ice cubes dueto the illustrate he disposition of y improved grid low conductivity of the material. The metal type therein. has the advantage of quick freezing, and the flex- F' 2 is a bottom View Of y p d grid. ible material type has the advantage of simple 50 v Fi u 318 a vertical transverse section through and easy removal of the ice cubes. 11; will be evi- 1 one of the elements in my improved grid illustratdent by studying the invention disclosed herein ing the composition thereof and disclosing its that the advantages of both types of grids and formation with a core. trays are combined to produce a result partaking It is to be understood that I do not limit the of superior freezing quality and easy removal of 55 application of this invention to the particular the ice cubes. Since my deviceis adapted to be used in a conventional metal tray, the large freezing surface of the tray coming in contact as it does with each compartment defined by the grid, will provide for complete distribution or conduction. The fact of the inclusion of my improved non-metallic grid, does not materially re tard the freezing. It is obvious that when the water is frozen into.ice cubes, a small amount of warm water applied to the bottom of the tray will quickly loosen the contents thereof in one piece. Then, due to the improved formation of my improved grid, it is necessary only to press the ice cubes with the fingers out of their compartments either singly or in the number desired. The operation is accomplished expeditiously, easily and without mishandling of the cubes, and it is accomplished by the semi-rigid nature of the structure used in the grid. This structure which permits the formation of the ice cubes having a large end and a small end which permits the ice 'cubes to be moved to better advantage toward the direction of the larger end, which movement is permitted and accelerated by the provision of the reinforced flexible material, the reinforcement being of semi-rigid material which facilitates the conduct of the slight pressure necessary to move the cubes from their position in the compartments of the grid. It is thought obvious that the use of my improved freezing tray grid permits rapid freezing of ice cubesand rapid and expeditions and convenient removal of the ice cubes when frozen, and permits the operation to be accomplished without mishandling and waste of the ice cubes.

It is therefore thought that it is understood I have provided an improved device of the character described, whose general nature may be varied in point of material and structure, but which annunciates a new and improved principle, which when applied according to the teachings of my invention, results in a superior device of the character described which constitutes a distinct and valuable contribution to the art to which it relates.

What is claimed is:-

1. A removable grid for a rigid metallic ice cube freezing tray having flared wall, said removablegrid comprising intersecting walls having angular ends engaging the walls of the tray, and a downwardly tapered cross section presenting a smaller edge for resting on the bottom of the tray, said walls comprising bodies of flexible compressible material, and plates of semi-rigid material therein, forming cores of relatively large cross section, whereby suflicient force may be applied to the cubes when the grid is removed from the tray to dislodge them without unduly and injuriously deforming the walls.

2. A removable grid for a rigid ice cube freezing tray having slanted walls, said grid comprising a frame of intersecting semi-flexible plates, a thick covering on the plates of compressible material and forming with the plates, walls having a tapered cross section, the ends of the walls being angular to conform to the slant of and engage with the walls of the tray, and the coating being thicker atone'edge of the plates than at the other edge to provide the tapering sides of the walls, said coating being adapted to be deformed by the freezing of the cubes in the tray so as to prevent sticking of the cubes in the grid and tray, and the semi-flexible plates in the walls enabling manually expelling the ice cubes from between the walls of the grid after removal of the grid from the tray without undue and injurious flexing and deformation of the walls.

3. In a removable grid for a refrigerator tray, a plurality of crossing walls, each of said walls comprising a'body of xible, compressible material having an inverted triangular cross section and provided interiorly with a vertically and longitudinally extending flexible metal plate, said walls defining ice-cube compartments having slanting walls producing tapered ice-cubes, said slanting walls operating to hold the ice-cubes in said grid and tray when the tray is inverted to remove the grid and ice-cubes therefrom and facilitating ejection of individual ice-cubes from the removed grid by manipulating said walls.

WILLIAM HARRISON FULLER, JR. 

